Improvement in furnaces for heating and puddling iron and steel



-1.l MQAYER.

Furnaces fn'rHeating and Puddling Irnnand Steel.

910,150,122, Pa'tentedApril28,1874.

y/v////////////////EHIl WHWESSES.- e A INVENTOR Harney/s.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHN M. AYER, or CHICAGO, iLLINors.

IMPROVEMENT IN FURNACES FOR HEATING AND P UDDLING IRON AND STEEL.

Specification fui-ming part of Letters Patent No. 150,122, dated April'28, 1874; application tiled April 21, 1874.

declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates, to an improvement in furnaces.

- In the drawings, Figure 1- represents a longitudinal section of my invention, and Fig. 2 a cross-section of the same.

My invention consists in the various parts and combinations as hereinafter specified and claimed, wherein A is a chamber provided with a suitable grating, B, and vVentilating-opening B', which may be made adjustable, so as to govern the amount of .draft admittedto the furnace. C is a door, through which the furnace is supplied with fuel. D is the roof of the chamber A, and it is made to incline at a proper angle downward toward the chimney or stack M. E is a wall or partition, commonly known as the rire-wall, standing between the chambers A and H. The upper or free portion of the re-wall E is provided with the open flue, or what I term the secondary combustion-chamber, G',which forms the upper portion of the nre-wall E, and is made continuous at each end with the secondary combustion-fines G G, which open outside the Afurnace, after passing a suitable distance through the same. The fines Cr Gr are provided with the regulating-dampers y g`. The upper face of the secondary combustion -chamber G', which forms the upper portion of the fire-wall, as aforesaid, is made at abevel o r angle substantially opposite to that of the roofs D K and the lower free portion of the upper fire-wall E'. II is the heating or puddling chamber, provided with a roof, K., inclined at an angle parallel to that of the roof D of thenre-cham-v ber A. The chamber His provided also with a door or opening, H', through which the chamber H is supplied with piles, metal, or anything intended tobeheated, and through which said chamber H may be inspected. I represents piles or other articles to be heated or charged.uw L is the exit-due, commonly called the velvet-tine,77 ot' the chamber H.

Inmy device, I place the chamber A at the rear of` and below the iloor ofthe chamber H. I prefer' that the difference in height between the iloors of the chambers A and H shall be substantially enual to the height of the fuewall E.

The various parts, as herein specified, may be constructed of any suitable material possessing sufficient strength and capability ot' resisting high degrees ot' heat.

Fuel is placed upon the grating B in the chamber A, where the iirst combustion takes place. This combustion is, however, necessarily imperfect and incomplete. The heat, rising, and carrying with it the uneonsumed matter, is so acted upon 'by the inclined roof D that a direct and undue draft from the chimney M will be counteracted, and this modified draft will conduct the heat and unburnt matter up and over the firewall E, and secondary combustion-chamber or perforated flue G' upon the upper portion thereof. At this point-i. e., the perforated combustion-flue G'-the combustion is made perfect and complete by a sufficient supply of oxygen through the iiuesG G, which, after the portions exposed .within thev furnace become sufiiciently heated, operate in a manner sufficiently obvious not to demand specific demonstration.

Not only is combustion made perfect and complete at the secondary combustion-dues Gr' Gr G, but the angle of the ilue G', and the op-l posing angle of the upper tire-wall E", and the inclined roofs K and D, operate in such a way that the ilamesvand heat, instead of rising' and traveling along the crown and upper por- I tion of the chamber H, as in all other furnaces of which I am aware, are made to take an opposite course, and drop upon and travel over the bottom or floor and lower portion of the chamber H, while the crown K and upper portion of the chamber H remain' untouched and unaffected by the flames and intensified heat.

Itwill be seen that in my devicethe entire heat is applied in the best and most advantageous manner by being precipitated and retained directly upon the inet-al charged, while the crown, a portion heretofore rapidly burned and destroyed, is preserwzd from undue heat, and made much more durable and lasting, inasmuch 'as the intensified heat does not come in contact with it.

i Another advantage of my device is the saving insured to the velvet-line, not only from the same causes that operate to save the crown K, but also from the fact that the heat, after having acted directly and continuously upon the piles'ormetal upon the iioor of the chamber II, becomes sufficiently tempered and mellowed .not to act so destruetively upon, the velvetfflue. Another advantage that I accomplish by my device will be clearly obvious by mere mention. It is evident that in the proportion that perfect and complete combustion is secured', in justthat'proportion is heat in-.

.creased and fuel economized.

To: secure this perfect combustion various devices, such as forced drafts. &c., have been employed; but I am not aware of any device such as herein specified, wherein not only a perfect combustion is secured without the employment ofany but natural draft, but the iiames and heat are directly, regularly, and continuously applied to the iioor instead of the crown ofthe furnace.' This effect, I consider, is materially assisted by the lowering of the chamber A below the floor ofthe chamber H, as specied, whereby a direct and undue 'draft is avoided.

By my device I claim to have accomplished, first, an increased heat, which acts directly, regularly, and continuously upon the' metal charged; second', a. saving of fuel, time, and labor, and consequent expense, by obtaining a complete combustion of all the fuel used, and applying this entire heat iny a direct, regular, and continuons manner; third, cleanliness, in; aslnuch as it is levident that, with perfect combustion, no smoke, soot, Src., can come from the stack or chimney while the furnace is in operation; fourth, an improved product, and an economy of stock; iifth, a saving of material from which the furnace is constructed, on account of the disposition of the intensified heat, as heretofore specified, by preventing its direct contact with the crown of the furnace andthe velvet-fine; sivth, a longer action and Vmore effective application of the heat,'by the action of the angular or inclined surfaces in modifying and governing the draft and the;

direction Aand action of said heat.

I do not limit the use of my invention .to smelting or puddlin g furnaces, as itis evident that house-heaters could be constructed on similar principles, andthe usualA smoke and soot avoided by the perfect and 'complete combustion accomplished by my device.

I am aware of Patent No. 126,546, granted to Ira Hersey, wherein is shown a beveled lower -fire-wall, opposed to which is the inclined roof of the primary combustion-chamber or fuel-magazine, whose anglais made to extend about midway over the lower fire-wall. In this device it is obvious that heat-rays or flames striking the irewall"'beyond a point opposite or. below the angle of the roof above it would be reflected and thrown upward against the crown ofthe heating or puddlin g chamber. l

My device is not liable to this objection. I. extend the angle of my upper firewall E" Vto a point opposite and above the higher angle of my firewall E.

By this provision none of the iames `or in tensified heat will be projected against the crown of my chamber H.

I claim as my invention- 1. The chamber A, placed in the rear of and below the ioor of the bed of the chamber H, rin' combination with the fire-wall E, provided with the secondary combustion-chamber G', substantially as .and for the purpose shown.

2. The combustion 'flue or chamber G'. sub` stantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. The coinbinationof the perforated combustion-fine G' and theiues G G, substantially d.

as and for the purpose shown.

4. The combination of the furnace H and dues G G, exposed partly to the action of the said furnace, substantially as and fortlle purlpose shown.

5. The combustion-flue G', provided with.

the beveled or angular top, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

6. In combination with the beveled fire-wall E, the upper fire-wall E", said wall E" e tending its angle to a point opposite and aboveV the higher angle' of the wall E, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

- 7. The combination of the re-wall E, bev-'- eled combustion-chamber G', dues G 0G, and beveled upper firewall E", substantially as and for the purpose shown.

S. The fines GG, provided with the dampers g g, in combination with the combustionflue G', substantially as and for the purpose shown.

9. The combination of the chamber A, grate B, inclined roof D, fire-wall E, combustionchalnber G', iiuesv G G, upper beveled fire-wall E", and chamber H, provided with the angular or inclined roofK, substantially as ard for the purposes specified and shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand Vthis 21st day of April, T1874.V

JOI-IN M. AYER.

Witnesses:

Hour. M. BARR, G. J. Fuuuiss. l 

